Alleged pot-trailer trade offer leads to three arrests

Three men were arrested on marijuana-related charges stemming from a raid in Alderpoint on Wednesday. During their investigation, agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force discovered four pounds of marijuana bud, one-and-a-half pounds of hashish and hundreds of growing marijuana plants.

On Wednesday at approximately 11:15 a.m., Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agents assisted by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol arrested Matthew Walker, 33, from Alderpoint after he attempted to trade marijuana for a travel trailer.

Approximately two weeks ago, Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agents were alerted by a citizen who was selling a travel trailer on Craigslist that a person was trying trade "herb" for the citizen's travel trailer. A Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agent took over negotiations posing as the seller and began contacting the suspect online. The suspect offered to trade four pounds of high-grade marijuana and hashish for the trailer. The Drug Task Force Agent agreed to meet the suspect at Tooby Park in Garberville on Wednesday at 11 a.m. to make the trade.

When the suspect, identified as Matthew Walker, 33, from Alderpoint, and another male showed up at Tooby Park, both were detained. Agents searched the vehicle they were driving and located four pounds of marijuana bud and one pound of hashish. Walker was arrested on outstanding felony arrest warrants for cultivation and sales of marijuana issued out of Mendocino County Superior Court and traffic offenses. The other male was interviewed and released at the scene.

Agents and deputies then drove to Walker's residence in the 4500 block of Rancho Sequoia Road, Alderpoint, where they served a Humboldt County Superior Court search warrant on Walker's residence. At the residence they located 304 growing marijuana plants ranging from 8 feet to 2 inches in height. The plants were being grown in greenhouses and outside on the property. Agents also located another approximate half pound of hashish in the residence, along with a rifle.

Walker was taken to the Humboldt County jail where he was booked on his arrest warrants and on new charges of cultivation and possession for sale of marijuana. His bail was set at $55,000.

While at Walker's property, Drug Task Force agents and deputies obtained information about marijuana cultivation on another nearby parcel in the 4000 block of Rancho Sequoia Road. They contacted the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office and spoke with a District Attorney investigator who obtained a search warrant for that parcel. When the agents and deputies served the search warrant, they located 1,572 marijuana plants ranging in size from 2 to 4 feet being grown in six green houses. They also located a sawed off shotgun and a AR-15 assault weapon with high-capacity magazines in the residence.

Two men were located at the scene and determined to be associated with the marijuana cultivation. There were identified as Travis Land, 36, from Redway and Juan Hernandez, from Alderpoint. They were both arrested for cultivation and possession for sale of marijuana. Agents learned Travis also had an outstanding felony arrest warrant for cultivation of marijuana. Both were transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. Land's bail was set at $55,000 and Hernandez's bail was set at $25,000.

Anyone with information regarding drug related activity is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-444-8095.